As the sun sets on Nyumanzi I settlement, many refugees are still hard at work constructing shelters. In many situations, tents, plastic sheeting and local materials available continue to be the standard.UNHCR / F. NOY / January 2014

Through its Key Initiatives series, UNHCR’s Division of Programme Support and Management (DPSM) shares regular updates on interesting projects that produce key tools, practical guidance and new approaches aimed to move UNHCR operations forward.

UNHCR is developing a new model of self-

standing family tent and the Refugee Housing

Unit (RHU) for field operations. These

innovative shelter options with improved

materials and design align with the Global

Strategy on Settlement and Shelter 2014-2018

and provide refugees and other people of

concern with more privacy, security, protection

from the elements and a sense of home in the

face of emergencies.

The vision of the Global Strategy is that all refugees

are able to satisfy their settlement and shelter

needs in a safe, dignified and sustainable manner

wherever they may be. Recognizing shelter as an

imperative priority for displaced populations who

have been forced to flee their homes, UNHCR

fosters innovative research and development to

promote different and adapted types of shelter

and improve the quality and performance of shelter

and settlement solutions.

Octo

ber 2

015 Innovative Shelter

Solutions through Research and Development

MEETING SHELTER NEEDS WITH EFFICIENCYShelter should be more than just a roof over the head

to provide adequate protection for displaced persons.

The Sphere Project, which established international

standards for humanitarian action, states that all crisis

affected people should have a minimum covered

living area of between 3.5 – 4.5m² per person,

depending on the climate. The shelter solutions and

materials should also meet the agreed technical and

performance standards, be based on participatory

design, ensure privacy and be culturally acceptable.

UNHCR strives to ensure that shelter options are

developed utilizing, where possible, the skills within

the affected population and promote the use of local

construction materials.

Tents remain the standard emergency shelter response

in camp settings. Durable shelter options with longer-

term life cycles are considered to be more suitable for

protracted displacement situations than tents,

considering their cost and limited lifespan. However,

tents can be delivered rapidly to provide lifesaving

assistance, making them crucial at the very onset of an

emergency. Plastic sheeting can also be used to provide

emergency shelter. In 2013 and 2014, UNHCR distributed

more than 182,460 tents and 40 million m² of plastic

sheeting worldwide.

THE NEW SELF-STANDING FAMILY TENTThe new self-standing family tent was designed by technical experts from DPSM’s Shelter and Settlement Section,

together with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International

Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Development of the tent involved the field-testing of three different tent designs

(Dome Tents, Hexagonal Tents and Umbrella Square Tents) by the three

agencies. The new tent is based upon an improved design of the dome

type tent and and provides enhanced protection, thermal

comfort, greater privacy and uses lighter weight material.

A variety of different shelter types are used in different environmental and displacement cycle settings.

Prototype of the self-standing family tent.

MORE INFORMATION

The UNHCR Global Strategy on Settlement and Shelter 2014-2018 is available

here: http://www.unhcr.org/shelterstrategy

For more information, please contact the Shelter and Settlement Section

on: HQshelter@unhcr.org

contact info: HQshelter@unhcr.org

WHAT COMES NEXT?

• In2015,atotalof20unitsoftheprototypeself-standingfamilytentareundergoingfield-testing

inBurkinaFasoandPakistan.Thefinalvalidationofthetechnicalspecificationswillbecompleted

bythefirstquarterof2016.

• In2015,UNHCR’sShelterandSettlementSectionwilllaunchtheShelter Design Catalogue,

presentinginanorganizedmannerdifferentsheltersolutionsandrelevanttechnicalinformation

andguidanceonuseindiverselocationsandcontextstomeetemergencyandtransitionalshelter

needs.

• Boththeself-standingfamilytentandtheRHUwillbeincludedintheupdatedCore Relief Items

Catalogue,makingthemavailablefordeploymenttoanygivenoperation.

• In2015,UNHCR’sShelterandSettlementSectionwilllaunchanewe-learningprogrammeon

shelterandsettlementsolutionsaspartoftheimplementationoftheGlobal Strategy.

• UNHCR’sShelterandSettlementSectionwillcontinueresearchanddevelopmenteffortson

alternativeshelteroptionstobetterrespondtotheneedsofrefugeesandotherpeopleof

concern.

A worker builds a transitional housing unit in Kobe refugee camp.UNHCR/ J. Ose / June 2012

The new self-standing family tent includes a winterization kit, which can be used to ensure the tent’s thermal comfort in extreme conditions and to provide better protection against cold weather.

TESTING TO MOVE FORWARDField-testing in Burkina Faso and Pakistan will assess the

tent’s performance in both hot and cold weather, and

allow the agencies to study the prototype with regard to

ventilation, insulation, resilience to extreme weather,

space, as well as cultural suitability and overall safety.

Refugees are closely involved in the testing process and

have provided positive feedback, especially on such key

features as additional living space and a built-in partition

for separate living and sleeping quarters. Testing, quality

control and visual inspection of products remain at the

forefront of UNHCR’s response.

THE REFUGEE HOUSING UNIT The Refugee Housing Unit (RHU) is an innovative shelter

solution, designed as a result of a research and

development project undertaken by the Refugee

Housing Unit AB, Sweden, (now called Better Shelter SA)

and UNHCR, with the support of the IKEA Foundation.

The RHU provides an improved standard of living,

comfort and safety that can be particularly appropriate in

protracted displacement situations when local materials

are not available. The RHU has an expected lifespan of 3

years with limited maintenance. RHUs can also be

connected together and create bigger

structures, giving them the ability to serve a variety of

shelter and settlement needs.

UNHCR tested and evaluated prototypes of the RHU in

Ethiopia and Iraq. The evaluation considered the

personal, social and cultural expectations of the refugees

and others of concern, the local and environmental

conditions of the shelter, and the production and

deployment features to deliver a more dignified and

viable end-experience to its users. Additional winter and

hot climate kits will be developed to make the RHU more

suitable for different climates. The RHU was introduced

to operations in May 2015 and has been deployed to

Djibouti, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,

Greece and Iraq, with use foreseen in Serbia, Chad and

several other countries.

The Refugee Housing Unit.